Sounds too good to be true, right? The experiment involved having a number of students work out until their body temperatures reached 104 degrees. At that point, half of the students were given beer and the other half water. The results, according to WashingtonTimes.com, is that the hydration effect in those who drank beer was “slightly better.”

In addition, Granada professor Manuel Garzon said the carbonation in beer helps to quench the thirst and that its carbohydrate content can help replace lost calories.

So this explains why my dad used to give me beer on hot summer days after I’d finished mowing the lawn as a kid. He was way ahead of this research; thanks, dad.